Romney claimed he wouldn’t raise taxes on the middle class, but independent tax experts agree: That’s the only way he could pay for his $5 trillion tax cut—skewed toward millionaires and billionaires—without exploding the deficit.

Romney claimed that he frequently reached across the aisle to achieve bipartisan support as governor of Massachusetts. But a closer look at his record reveals that the opposite was true. Hear what Massachusetts legislators have to say about Romney’s ability to lead.

Romney touted the 19 tax cuts he passed as governor. But it turns out the majority of the those tax cuts were actually tax breaks skewed heavily toward Hollywood, big corporations, and the wealthy. At the same time, Gov. Romney raised or created more than 1,000 taxes and fees that hit the Bay State’s middle class families and small businesses.

It’s also worth clarifying where President Obama and Mitt Romney stand on Social Security: While President Obama is committed to keeping the promise of guaranteed Social Security benefits for current and future generations, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have supported plans to privatize the program, and put forward a plan that would slash benefits for current workers.

Be sure to watch the next debate this Thursday, as Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan square off live from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, at 9:00 p.m. ET. In advance of the debate, here are five facts you need to know about Paul Ryan.